It’s Southbound for the Khyber

Stephen Simons’ decision to transform Old City mainstay the Khyber into an izakaya proved to be wildly unpopular with the storied indie rock temple’s once faithful following. Don’t believe us? Take a look at the heaps of scorn left in the comments section of Drew Lazor’s post about that plan on the Citypaper’s Meal Ticket blog. Now comes word that the Khyber will not go the Japanese route and is, in fact, aiming for “southern flavor and American craft beer,” according to Ashley Thomas, the events coordinator for Simons and partner Dave Frank, who also own the Royal Tavern, Cantina Los Caballitos and Cantina Dos Segundos.